Green Rice and Corn Pudding

This green rice is one that my mom always made and I could eat the whole recipe by myself. It goes great with almost anything. I probably already have this on my blog, but it never hurts to repeat.  The corn pudding is a recipe I got from Barefoot Contessa. It is my favorite corn pudding recipe.  I love the basil in it and you can get basil year-round.  I grow it in my backyard, but that time is almost gone.

Printable Recipe:

https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/green-rice

Green Rice Ingredients:
1 cup green onions, chopped
2/3 cup green bell pepper
2 tablespoons veg. or canola oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 small jar pimiento
Method for Green Rice
Add the 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Heat to medium. Add onions, bell peppers, parsley and cook until soft.  Add remaining ingredients in a 12" X 13" baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and add chopped pimients. Toss with a fork to combine.

Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/corn-pudding

Ingredients for Corn Pudding:
1 stick butter
5 cups corn kernels cut off cob (6-8 ears)This time I used frozen corn and I couldn't tell the difference
1 cup chopped onion
4 extra large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons basil - chopped
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
34 cup grated cheddar cheese + extra for the top
Method for Corn Pudding:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease inside of baking dish. (I use cooking spray)
Melt the butter in a large saute' pan and cook the corn and onion over medium/high heat 4 minutes. Cool slightly. Whisk together eggs, milk, 1/2 and 1/2 in large bowl. Add cornmeal and ricotta cheese. Whisk well. Add basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the corn mixture and grated cheese. Pour in a baking dish and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake 40-45 minutes. Cook in pan filled 1/2-way with water. This time when I cooked it, it seemed to take much longer ( about 1 1/2 hours) Maybe it was because I cooked the green rice at the same time.  Of course the green rice was finished long before the corn.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Curly Endive

I really enjoyed this dish.  I ate it twice while Jud was out-of-town and decided to have this as I side dish with grilled chicken.  Most people have roasted vegetables, the  extra layer of flavor in this dish is the curly endive. 



Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/roasted-vegetables-with-curly-endive-1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Choose at least 4 of the following vegetables to equal 1 pound of diced root vegetables.

Parsnips, Red or Yukon Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes,Turnips, Carrots

Place these in a large bowl and add 2 shallots cut in thick slices along with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly and spread on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Bake for 45 minutes and then add about 1/2 head of curly endive. Season with more salt and pepper and mix well.  Bake for another 20 minutes until endive has wilted.

Bacon and rosemary Sauteed Brussels Sprouts and Baby Bellas

Jud is out of town and I am eating very healthy.  Tonight I came home from the movie, Higher Ground, and made this meal for myself.  It was all I needed. I loved it. I could have eaten the whole thing, but I wanted to save half for another time.  It could certainly be a side dish, but I made it for my meal.


Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/brussels-sprouts

Ingredients:
1 pound brussels sprouts
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, whiped clean
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil I probably only used about 2-3 T.
2 oz bacon, cut into 1" pieces.  I used 4 slices of bacon
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, each about 4 inches long  I probably only used one piece 2" long
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 T. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 lemon
1. Trim the stem ends of the Brusserls sprouts. Cut the smallest spraout into quarters
Cut the largest sprouts in half, and then cut each half into thirds, in both cases, cut lengthwise through the stem so that a piece of the core holds the leaves together. Cut the mushrooms in a similar fashion. Quarter the smallest ones, and cut the larger ones in half and then into thirds, lengthwise.
2. In a 10" skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sprouts, mushrooms, bacon, and rosemary. Season with the salt and using tongs, stir well to combine everything. The pan will be very crowded, that's okay.
3. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring ocasionally at first and more frequently when the vegetables begin to brown, until the vegetables are well browned and the Brussels sprouts are tender. (28-30 minutes. The bottom of the pan will be quite brown. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the rosemary, and add the butter pieces. Stir gently with a silicone spatula until all of the butter has melted. Give a generous squeeze of lemon over all and stir again. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve warm.  I did not use the butter and didn't think it was needed.  I also didn't add any lemon juice. When I have it for left-overs tomorrow, I may add a little butter and some lemon juice to warm.

Cheese Grits

This is a recipe that Stacy gave me in 2008, but I don't think I ever posted it on my blog. We love this dish and it went really well with the stuffed chicken and okra.  I halved this recipe.

Food network.com/recipes/boy-meets-grillo/jalapeno-cheese grits,


Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/cheese-grits

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quick-cooking grits
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoon hot sauce (recommended: Tobasco)
3 large eggs, well beaten
2 jalapenos, finely diced I used jalapenos that were pickled
1/4 cup canned chopped green chiles
garlic salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook grits according to the directions on the package. Remove from the heat and add next 6 ingredients (cheddar - chilies). Stir well and season with garlic salt, to taste. Pour into a buttered 9" square baking dish and bake for 1 hour. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Garlicky Creamed Corn and Spinach

I made the Oven Fried Chicken last night. I had already posted it on my blog, but tonight I used the same method, but used talapia instead of fish.  It was really good.  But the star of the meal was the garlicky creamed corn and spinach. We will definitely make this again.  Jud fried the okra in our fry daddy and it was nice and crispy.  I soaked it in egg and milk and then put it in a zip-lock bag and put corn meal in the bag with the okra.  Shake it up and then fry it until crisp.
Creamed corn and spinach recipe is from Rachel Ray of Foodnetwork.
Printable Version:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/garlicy-creamed-corn-with-spinach
Ingredients for Creamed Corn and Spinach
2 tablespoons butter
4 ears corn, kernels scraped from cob
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
2 bundles fresh baby spinach, about 1/2 pound, chopped
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is hot, stir in the corn and the starchy liquid scraped from the corn cobs. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, then add the cream and nutmeg, stirring occasionally, until very creamy, about 15 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

I really like KalynsKitchen.com.  I find that I use many of her recipes. This is a great site for South Beach Diet friendly foods. Check it out. She even has a section of her favorites from each year.

Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/easy-cheesy-zucchini-bake

 

Ingredients:

2 medium - sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices

2 medium-sized yellow squash cut in slices or half-moon slices

2-4 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup + 1/2 cup low-fat white cheese (I used Pizza Cheese, which is a low-fat blend of Mozzarella

                                                                Provolone, Romano, and Parmesan)

1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray and 8" X 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices. Wash basil, spin dry or dry with a paper towels and finely chop. Slice green onions.

2. Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well distributed. Season with salt and pepper. Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.

3. When zucchini is nearly cook through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of white cheese. Put the dish back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked. Serve hot.

Baked Risotto With Pancetta and Carmelized Onions

While I was in Oregon, I checked out a book from the Alsea library. Yes, I have a library card from Alsea, Oregon. We go there every Summer and I enjoy checking-out books from their library.  Anyway, I found this cookbook "Not Your Mother's Casseroles by Faith Durand.  This was one of the recipes that I copied from her cookbook.  It is a great cookbook by the way.  It is amazing to me how different onions taste when you carmalize them slowly in butter.  Yum. This is a great dish and I will certainly make it again

Printable Recipe:

https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/baked-risotto-with-pancetta

Baked Risotto with Pancetta and Caramelized Onions

Here's an easy baked risotto that is oh-so-delicious and indulgent. It's a marvelous winter dish, with the smoky richness of crispy pancetta and a topping of sweet, dark caramelized onions. Serves 6.
CASSEROLE DISH: 3-quart Dutch oven or large ovenproof saucepan with lid
BAKE TIME: 20 to 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1/4 pound pancetta, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, cut in half from top to bottom and then lengthwise in thin half-moon slices
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In the Dutch oven or ovenproof saucepan, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until crisp. Add the olive oil and finely diced onion and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the onion slowly, stirring frequently, until translucent. This will take about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and the rice and cook, stirring to coat the rice grains with oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant and tender. Turn the heat back up to high.
3. Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, transfer to the oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Maybe my lid wasn't as tight-fitting because it took mine about 45 minutes to absorbe most of the liquid.
4. While the risotto is baking, caramelize the onions. Heat the butter over medium heat in a heavy saute pan, preferably a cast-iron skillet. When the butter foams up, add the sliced onions and stir to coat them with butter. Sprinkle them liberally with salt. Cook, stirring every 5 minutes or so, for at least 25 minutes, or until the onions have turned a rich mahogany brown.
5. When the risotto is finished, remove from the oven and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately, topped with spoonfuls of caramelized onions and sprinkled with parsley, if using.



Smoked Potato Salad

Great potato salad. Different than your normal potato salad. I think this would travel well.  The recipe calls for you to smoke them on the indirect heat of the grill, but Jud and I couldn't taste the smoked flavor. Next time, I will just roast them in the oven on 400 degrees F. for about 30-45 min.  It took an hour on the grill before they were done.  The recipe calls for small potatoes, but I used these because I had them and didn't want to go to the grocery store. We eat our pork tenderloin with raspberry chipotle which I make in Oregon. The recipe can be found on my blog. Recipe from June 2011 - Cooking Light
Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingsherry/smoked-potato-salad

Ingredients:
2 cups mesquite wood chips
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds small potatoes
1/3 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
2 thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon red wine vinegatr
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1. Soak wood chips in water 1 hour; drain.
2. Remove the grill rack, and set aside. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium-high and leave one side with no heat. Maintain temperature at 400 degrees. Pierce bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan several times with the tip of a knife. Place pan on heat element on heated side of grill;p add 1 cup wood chips to pan. Place grill rack on grill. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, pepper, salt, and potatoes in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer in a disposable foil pan. Place pan over unheated side; close lid. Cook 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until tender, and add remaining 1 cup wood chips after 15 minutes. Remove potatoes from grill. Combine potatoes, olives, and onions in a medium bowl.
3. Combine the remaining oil, parsley, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Drizzle oil mixture over potato mixture; toss well.
Now, this is how we did it.  That sounded way too complicated.  We have a charcoal grill so Jud built the fire on one side of the pit to cook the pork tenderloin.  On the other side, I placed a large piece of foil and spread the prepared potatoes in a single layer. Jud cooked the potatoes for 35 minutes with the lid down.  At that point he put the pork tenderloin on to cook.  While the potatoes continued to cook he cooked the pork tenderloin on the side with the heat.  This gave the potatoes a full hour.  As I said in the introduction, next time I will roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30-45 minutes.

Curried Potato Salad

This was nice because it was different from the regular potato salad that I usually make.  I think the yogurt made it a little healthier.
June 2011 - Cooking Light



Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/curried-potato-salad


Ingredients:
2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup plain 2% greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Madras or regular curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup grated carrots
1/3 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted cashews
1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.
2. Combine yogurt and next 3 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk.
3. Place cooled potatoes in a large bowl. Add carrots, 5 tablespoons green onions, celery, and yogurt mixture; toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons green onions and cashews. I'm not a huge raw onion fan, so I only used about 2 tablespoons of scallions.

Black Beans and Yellow Rice

I made this side-dish to go with some chicken and pineapple salsa.  Jud grilled his famous chicken that he marinades in Itallian dressing and then I spooned the pineapple salsa over it.  I will follow this with the salsa recipe.
June 2011 - Cooking Light


Ingredients:
4 ounces dried black beans
Cooking Spray
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced (I actually used ground chorizo)
6 cups water, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
3 cups chopped fresh tomato
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1. Sort and wash beans, place in a bowl, Cover with water to 2 inches above beans, let stand 8 hours. Drain.
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chorizo; saute' for 3 minutes. Add beans and 4 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cumin.
3. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 1/2 cups onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and onion mixture into bean mixture. I put this mixture with the beans and chorizo and cooked it in my crock pot on high for about 4 hours.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 pineapple, peeled, and cut in 1/2 " slices
cooking spray
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 serrano chili, minced
1 avocado, cubed
1. Preheat grill to high
2. Combine oil and honey. Brush oil mixture over pineapple and place on grill coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes on each side. Cool 5 minutes. Core the pineapple and chop in bite-size pieces. Add onion and next 6 ingredients through serrano pepper. Goss
3. Peel and seed avocado. Coph and add to salsa.  This would be good on flank steak, chicken, fish, or shrimp. 
 While the chicken is grilling, also grill the pineapple long enough to get grill marks on both sides of the fresh pineapple sliced in 1/2" pieces.  After it has cooled, you can cut out the core of each slice.

Sesame green beans

 We had fresh green beans from our garden. If I counted the cost of these green beans, I probably wouldn't grow a garden, but I am a farm-girl at heart, and it would be so hard to give-up my garden. I really don't have enough sun to grow a good garden, but I keep trying.  My faternal grandmother was the real gardner in our family. She gave me the gift to love gardening, but I didn't get her green thumb. Oh how I wish that wishing would make it happen.

Printable Recipe:

https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/sesame-green-beans

Sesame Green Beans

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon minced, peeled fresh ginger or1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1. In a 5 quart saucepan, in 1 inch boiling water, heat beans to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 5-10 minutes, until beans are tender-crisp.

2. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, toast sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring and shaking pan frequently, until golden brown.

3. Drain beans, Whipe saucepan dry. Return beans to saucepan. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger; heat through.

4. Sprinkle beans with toasted sesame seeds. Serve beans warm or cover and refrigerate to serve cold later.

Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes

It is Thursday evening and Jud made an amazing meal.  He made his famous catfish dinner using talapia. His recipe is on the website.  Green beans seasoned with deer sausage and onions.  Cooked to perfections.  But the hit was a new dish I found in my  April - Cooking Light Magazine.  Easy and delicious.


Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/asparagus-with-balsamic-tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes -Jud didn't half them
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1. Cook asparagus in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cook 3 minutes. Stir in salt. Arrange asparagus on a platter; top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and pepper. Yield 4 servings.  I probably ate 3 of the servings.  Loved it.

Asparagus with Parmesan vinaigrette

I forgot to 1/3 the dressing, so it had too much dressing. I know, I didn't have to use it all, but I did. Now that you know.  You shouldn't do what I did.  It will be much better.






Ingredients:
3 pounds asparagus
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 oz proscuitto or cooked ham, chopped (about 1/4 cup) 
As you can see in the picture, I did not use the prosciutto or ham.
1. Hold base of each asparagus stalk firmly and ben stalk; end will break off at spot where it becomes too tough to eat. Discard ends; trim scales if stalks are gritty.
2. In a deep 12" skillet with 1 " of boiling water, heat asparagus to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5-10 minutes, just until tender; drain well.
3. In 13" X 9" glass baking dish, prepare vinaigrette; With wire whisk or fork, mix oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
4. Add asparagus to vinaigrette; turn to coat. Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, 2 hours. To serve, spoon asparagus and vinaigrette onto serving platter. Sprinkle with prosciutto and remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

Oysters, Shrimp, and Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

I made this amazing meal last night.  I love the oysters at Silo in San Antonio and one day they had the recipe in the Express News. I clipped it out and this is the second time I have made them.  The first time my Hollandaise Sauce broke, but this time it was perfect. I made the red sauce for the shrimp.  I have already posted the broccoli and cauliflower recipe, but the twice-baked sweet potato recipe will follow the shrimp recipe.  The Hollandaise is very labor intensive, but oh so worth it.

Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/oysters-shrimp-and-twice-baked-sweet-potatoes
Ingredients for the Hollandaise Sauce:
1/2 pound unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
3 egg yolks
water, as needed
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
few drops tabasco Sauce
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon heavy cream, or an extra egg yolk (if needed to repair a broken sauce) That tells you that it is pretty hard if they are giving you the recipe for broken sauce)  The key for me was to keep the butter on very low temp. to keep warm and the rest of the sauce also on low as you cook it.
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Method:
1. Clarify the butter by slowly melting it in a small saute' pan, then skimming off foam that forms on top.
2. Pour clear butter off into another container and discard the milk solids that have sunk to the bottom. Whipe out the pan and return the butter to a pan: keep warm over very low heat. When I poured the clarified butter back in the pan to keep warm, I used a strainer to catch any milk solids I had missed
3. In a medium saute' pan, add 1-2 teaspoons of the clarified butter and saute' shallot until soft and aromatic. Add vinegar and reduce liquid until pan is almost dry. Remove pan from heat.
4. When cooled slightly, add mustard and egg yolks with a little water. Place pan on low heat and whisk constantly until yolks start to thicken. Add a little more water if it gets too thick. You want the consistency to be like mayonnaise. I kept a little water close in case I needed it, and I did.
5. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the melted warm butter. Add Worcestershire, Tabasco, and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
6. If sauce suddenly thins and takes on a grainy appearance, it has "broken." Whisk in a tablespoon of cream or an extra egg yolk. Use immediately or keep in a warm area by stove or place in a covered thermos. Hollandaise is an emulsified sauce and should be held in a warm environment to prevent it from coagulating or "breaking." You should not store leftover hollandaise.
Ingredients for oysters:
I only made one container of oysters for Jud and me. Stacy came for dinner so I opted to buy some shrimp, thus the oysters and shrimp.  I loved having both of them and we didn't have any trouble eating all of both the shrimp and oysters.
30-36 oysters (2-8oz containers) 
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Method for Oysters:
1. Drain oysters if in liquid and place in buttermilk. Since I only made one container, I drained them and then put them in a small bowl and poured enough buttermilk over them to cover.
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours
2. Combine flour, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Heat oil to 375 degrees. When ready to fry oysters, remove from buttermilk. (I poured them through the colander) and dredge in seasoned flour, shaking off excess flour. Fry in batches in hot oil. Be careful not to crowd oysters because oil temperature will drop and they will not be crisp. Place oysters on paper towels to blot excess oil. Keep warm in 200 degree oven while frying remaining oysters.

Shrimp Coctail W/ Red Sauce:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place shrimp on baking sheet in a single layer. Coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 8-10 minutes
Sauce:
1/2 cup each of heinz chili sauce and ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire
1/4 teaspoon tabasco

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes:
2 large orange-fleshed sweet potatoes 
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon soft butter or margarine
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
very small pinch ground chipotle chile pepper She says you can substitute chopped chipotle chile from a can ) This is what I did. I couldn't find the ground chipotle chile pepper.
thinly sliced green onions for garnish if desired.
Method:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F or 200 C. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray or olive oil. Slice sweet potatoes crosswise into thick pieces about 2 1/2 inches thick (You will get 3-4 thick pieces from each sweet potato. Rub sweet potato pieces with olive oil, including end pieces. Arrange sweet potatoes standing up on the baking sheet and roast until they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes, turning them once during the cooking time.
I cut my sweet potatoes in 1/2 and roasted them like this. Made it easy to fill the skins.
When sweet potatoes are soft, remove from the oven and let cool until they can be handled. Then use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out most of the sweet potato flesh and put it in a bowl, leaving enough flesh attached to the skin and on the bottom to make a "cup." Stand the empty cups back on the baking sheet.
Mix sour cream, soft butter or margarine, lime juice, and pinch of ground Chipotle pepper (or small amount of finely chopped chipotle pepper) Stir the sour cream mixture and 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions into the mashed sweet potato in the bowl. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Taste the mixture to see if you want more lime or Chipotle flavor and add as needed.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a small ziploc bag (or pastry bag if you have one.) Cut off the corner of the bag and squeeze out the mixture to fill the cups, filling them so it rises slightly above the edge. (If making ahead, sweet potatoes can be refrigerated at this point and reheated later.)
Put filled sweet potato cups back into the oven and bake20-25 minutes, until filling is hot and very lightly browned. Serve hot, garnish with thinly sliced green onions if desired.

Penne Pasta Casserole and Green Beans with Garlic, tomatoes, Olives, and Capers

Carolyn Rawie gave me this recipe when Jud retired from Woodland as the pastor.  We had been there for 13 years so everyone was asked to bring 13 things to the retirement party.  Carolyn brought me 13 recipes.  She knows how much I love to cook.  The green beens are from KalynsKitchen.com
The recipe for the green beans follows the pasta recipe.


Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/penne-pasta-casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (14 oz) can tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained (original)
3 cups penne pasta, prepared according to pkg. drain and set aside
2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers, shredded
Saute' onion in 2 tablespoons of oil until browned and soft. Set aside. Brown ground beef separately until completely cooked. (Not sure why the onions need to be cooked separately) Next time I will probably cook them together.
Transfer ground meat into a large bowl. Mix together saute'ed onions, browned meat, the can of tomatoes, the can of Ro-Tel (drained) and the 3 cups of pasta. I cooked 3 cups uncooked pasta. After making it, I think it was probably 3 cups of cooked pasta.
Add in 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup of monterey jack cheese. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour into greased 9" X 13" casserole pan.
Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake ( covered with foil) in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes

If you make ahead and refrigerate, adjust baking time to heat thoroughly.  I baked it 1 hour.  I made two small casserole dishes out of this recipe.  Then again, I did add 3 cups of uncooked pasta that I had cooked.

Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/green-beans-with-olives

Braised Green Beans with Garlic, Tomatoes, Olives, and Capers
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
8-10 Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped( I had salad olives so I used those
2 tablespoons capers
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh basil (optional) basil was not in season, so I didn't use it.
Trim or cut ends from green beans. Coarsely chop the Kalamata olives and mince the garlic.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet with a lid, using medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook about 1 minute, just until the garlic is getting fragrant. Add the beans and stir until beans are all coated with the hot oil.

Add the canned tomatoes with juice, chopped Kalamata olives, capers, and 2 tablespoons water. I used the liquid from the capers instead of water. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until beans are just starting to get tender. Stir a few times.

When beans are barely tender, remove lid, raise heat to medium, and cook. Cook until any remaining liquid is evaporated, probably no longer than 2 minutes. (Add thinly sliced fresh basil now if you're using it.) Season beans with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Carrots with Leeks

This is a recipe that Stacy Martyak made for us one time when she was here.  I had some carrots and leeks that I wanted to get rid of before we leave for Oregon so this was the obvious choice.  I served this with Jud's great grilled chicken, I would put his up next to anyone. Maybe we should open a restaurant in our retirement.  On second thought, we don't want to work that hard.



Ingredients:
1. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2. Carrots - as many as you need to serve the number of people you are having for dinner, cut in discs.
3. Leeks - one leek for every 3 carrots- cut in rounds and soak in water to rid of sand.
4. 1/4 cup chicken stock.
5. Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in large skillet to medium-low heat.  Add carrots and leeks and cook  until carrots are almost cooked soft and the leeks are starting to carmalize--about 20 minutes.  Add chicken stock and cook another 5 minutes.