Sauteed Broccolini

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sauteed-broccolini-recipe/index.html
I bought some broccolini this week at the grocery store and found this recipe on foodnetwork from Ina Garten.  It was a winner.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch broccolini
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Blanch the broccolini in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the lemon zest and garlic and stir. Drain the broccolini and add it to the garlic mixture and heat for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper, and toss well before serving. 

Warm Potato and Goat Cheese Salad

Jud really liked this potato salad.  I could not find the goats milk fromage blanc so I used mascarpone cheese instead. I thought it tasted fine, but I guess I don't really know what fromage blanc is.  I asked in the grocery store, but they couldn't tell me either.







Printable Version:
Warm Potato and Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
1 (3oz) package goat cheese
1/2 cup goats milk fromage blanc
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Method:
Place potatoes in saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and sinner 15 minutes until tender. Drain. Combine warm potatoes, wine, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss. Add onions, parsley, and goat cheese. Combine fromage blanc and remaining ingredients stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add fromage mix to potato mixture. Toss and serve.

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This comes from Barefoot Contessa Family Style.  Jud grilled some chicken to have with this.  It was a real winner for a side-dish.  






Printable Version: Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fusili (spirals) pasta.  I had bowtie pasta and just used that
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
For the dressing:
5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned
Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. I did not do this. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.

Hasselback Potatoes

We finally got to have our anniversary meal.  We were suppose to have it Tuesday night and decided to go see the Silver Stars play basketball. Then we were suppose to have it Wednesday night and we had 3 people come look at our house so we went out to eat instead. We finally got to make it tonight. Jud grilled the steaks, I made an awesome salad in our awesome bowls from Oregon myrtlewood. I found the recipe for these potatoes on Pinetrest and tracked down the link. Hasselback Potatoes
I had a hard time getting the potatoes soft.


Printable version:
Hasselback Potatoes

Ingredients:
8 long baking potatoes
1/4 cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
5 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
coarse salt, to taste
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley (garnish), optional
(for best results, choose oblong potatoes of uniform size.)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a large shallow glass baking dish

Peel the potatoes. Place the peeled potatoes on a cutting board and cut a narrow 1/4 inch slice from the bottom of each potato. Discard the slice (this helps the potato lie flat and not roll).

Place two long handled wooden chopsticks on each side of the potato lengthwise. Use a sharp knife and slice each potato crosswise, making 1/4 inch apart slices, cutting down vertically. The chopsticks will prevent the knife from cutting entirely through the potato. You need to leave 1/4 inch of the bottom of the potato intact.

As you finish cutting each potato, drop them into cold water to prevent discoloring. Gently flex the potato fans open while rinsing under cold running water. This rids the potatoes of excess starch that can impede fanning. Dry potatoes well before baking.

Note: Potatoes may be prepared in advance to the above point. Place potatoes in cold water until ready to bake. To bake, dry potatoes well. Place the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon melted butter, paprika, and salt in a food processor; process until blended.

Brush prepared potatoes with 2 tablespoons melted butter (making sure some gets in the potato cracks), and pat the bread crumb mixture on top of each potato.

Place potatoes in the oiled baking dish; cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until they turn crispy and the flesh is soft. Remove from the oven.

To serve, drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle minced parsley over the tops of the baked potatoes.  Jud's potato was bigger and it could have used an additional 10 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese - Carolyn

 We had this amazing meal the night before
we left Oregon.  Our host made smoked bbq ribs and our hostess made this amazing macaroni and cheese.  It came from a cookbook called Flavors for Friends by Cathy Bailey. 

Printable link: Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz package of uncooked large elbow macaroni

2 ½ C. milk

½ C. butter, melted

1/3 to ½ C flour (she used 1/2 cup)

1 ½ t. garlic salt

1 ½ t coarse ground black pepper

1 t. dry mustard

2 T Worcestershire sauce

28 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed (2 cups)

1 ½ C shredded Longhorn Colby cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Drain well, run cold water over and set aside. 

Melt butter in large Dutch oven.  Stir in flour and mix well in melted butter to remove lumps.  Slowly add milk and stir well with a whisk until smooth.  Add salt and pepper, dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce and mix well.  If mixture is too thick, add more milk slowly.

Add Velveeta and one cup of cheddar cheese and stir until melted.  Add macaroni and mix well.  Stir in additional salt and pepper if desired. 

Pour into greased 9-x-13 inch casserole dish.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 ½ cups of cheddar cheese.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Chet made the ribs. He didn't go into detail, but I do remember that he cooked them 3 hours on the smoker. I assume he salt and peppered them and maybe even added his favorite rub.  He served them with some barbecue sauce. They were wonderful.

Stuffed zucchini

http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com/2010/05/tiny-tomatoes-big-taste.html   I found this on pinterest and thought since I was in Oregon with all this fresh produce, I would try it.  I thought maybe it needed to cook a little longer, but it was really amazing just like it was.








I used one zucchini for every two people for the side dish. Cut the zucchini in 1/2 lengthwise and trim a little off the bottom of each 1/2 so they zucchini will be flat on the baking sheet.  Scoop out a little of the center and brush with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Cut the baby tomatoes in 1/2, I used heirloom, and arrange them in the groves of the zucchini.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven a place diced fontina or mozzarella cheese on the top. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbling.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Indian Creamed Spinach & Roasted Root Vegetables

Jud made some bbq thighs out on the grill and I made the sides. I have always loved creamed spinach and this is a little different in the addition of coriander and cumin. I put these in individual bowls so the cream wouldn't spread all over the plate.  Roasting vegetables are my favorite way to prepare almost any vegetable. Could that be, because Jud usually grills them outside in our grill pan.
 

Ingredients for Creamed Spinach

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

2 bunches (10-12oz. each) spinach, washed and dried very well

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup whipping cream
Method:

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes, or untiltender. Add ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, and ground red pepper. Cook 1 minute

2. Increase heat to high. Add spinach and salt; cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes, just until spinach wilts. Stir in cream and boil 2 minutes, until thickened.
Ingredients for Roasted Vegetables:
You can use almost any vegetable that you like. I used butternut squash and cauliflower. I used only as much as I would eat in one meal (1/2 cauliflower and 1/2 small butternut squash)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste. 
Method:
I usually cut-up the vegetables into bite-size portions and place in a large bowl. Then I add about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil , salt and pepper.  I use my hands to make sure all the vegetables have some oil on them.  Then I spread them out onto a large baking sheet. Cook 400 degrees about 20-30 minutes. This will depend on how many vegetables and how small you cut your vegetables.