Caramelized Onion Blue Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

If your looking for a variation on traditional scalloped potatoes, consider this dish. Blue cheese and caramelized onions meld together in a creamy Bechamel sauce for a side dish that is hearty and comforting, yet elegant.
These potatoes go great with this Turkey Meatloaf. Assemble it in the morning to save time at dinner. Then pop it in the oven 45 minutes before you eat and you're set!

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
1 Sweet Onion
2 T. Butter
2 T. Flour
1/2 T. Brown Sugar
1/2 t. White Pepper
1/4 t. Grated Nutmeg
2 T. Butter
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 C. Milk(I use Almond)
1/2 C. Heavy Cream
Salt, to taste
1/3 C. Blue Cheese, crumbled
2 T. Freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in upper third of the oven.

Place the cleaned potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just barely tender. Drain the potatoes and let cool.
Meanwhile, add 2 T. Of butter to a sauté pan and melt on medium heat. Thinly slice the onion and add to the pan. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes and then add the brown sugar to the pan. Continue to sauté the onion until it develops a deep brown caramel color. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Melt 2 T. of butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour to the butter and stir until combined. let cook for 1 minute and then pour in the heavy cream. Turn the heat up to medium and stir continuously until the cream has thickened. Whisk in the milk and let simmer until thickened and smooth. Add in the nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. Remove from heat.

Thinly slice the cooled potatoes and spread one layer of potatoes in an 8-9" baking dish. Top the potatoes with 1/3 of the caramelized onions. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the onion and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the blue cheese. Arrange another layer of potatoes in the dish and top with another 3rd of the onions, sauce, and blue cheese. Top with the remaining potatoes, sauce, onions and blue cheese. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan evenly over the top of the dish.

Place dish on a shallow baking pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is a golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Turkey Meatloaf

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Peanut Dipping Sauce

 

I figure as long as I'm posting Asian style recipes, whats one more? And this is one recipe you really need. I promise. Peanut Sauce. Dip your chicken Satay in it. Eat it over rice. Me? I like to toss it with some Lo Mein noodles and crushed peanuts.

This recipe is so simple and quick to throw together, which you'll appreciate on those busy weeknights where your kids are demanding that you feed them(the nerve, right?)and you havent planned anything for dinner. Not that that ever happens here.

You don't belive me?

Fine. It happens.

But at least I have Peanut Noodles to turn to when it does.

Ingredients:

 

1 Can Coconut Milk

1-2 T. Red Curry Paste(depending on your spicy tolerance level)

3/4 C. Peanut Butter

1/2 T. Salt

2/3 C. Sugar

2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 C. Water

 

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk together. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to medium. Whisk constantly for 4-5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and is smooth.

 

Pan-Seared Salmon with Warm Cherry Tomato Vinagrette & Lemon Pepper Papardelle

I'm a little bit late, but here is the meal I made for Father's Day this year. I would like to take a moment to thank Trader Joe's, who provided me with a fabulous papardelle so that I did not have to make my own. Thanks, Trader Joe's. You have saved me more time than you know. I was originally going to serve this over a potato/parsnip puree until I found the papardelle in my pantry(I guess I forgot about it!)....what was I thinking!? This salmon dish goes over pasta a THOUSAND times better than it would ever go over potatoes. If you make this, remember this little experience and serve this salmon over papardelle(or fettuccine, or even angel hair would be nice). But NOT potatoes.

Stupid, stupid, stupid...............

Ingredients:

• 4 Salmon Fillets(skinless), about 4-5 oz. each
• Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 c. Cherry Tomatoes, halved
• 1 Large Shallot, thinly sliced
  
• 1/4 c. White Wine Vinegar
• 2/3 c. Olive oil
• 1 t. Fresh Thyme, chopped
• 1 t. Fresh Oregano, chopped
• 1 t. Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, shallot, vinegar, oil, thyme, and oregano. Stir lightly to mix. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet(also, begin cooking your pasta at this stage). Pat salmon fillets dry and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Press into fillets. Place the salmon in the hot skillet and sear to a golden brown on each side. Remove the fillets from the pan and place on an oven safe baking sheet. Finish cooking the fish in the oven(salmon is done when it flakes easily and is cooked through, but just. Don't over cook!).

While the salmon is cooking in the oven, pour the tomato vinaigrette into the hot skillet and let simmer for about 1 minute, or until the tomatoes start to wrinkle. Remove from heat.

Serve the salmon on top of a bed of pasta and spoon the tomato vinaigrette on top of the fish.

Chicken & Mushroom Biscuits and Gravy

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'Sticky Chicken' and Mustard Mashed Yukons

Here is an easy meal that your kids will love! My daughter licks her plate clean whenever we have this and is always asking for it. And not only is it easy to make, it's budget friendly too! You can find chicken legs for around 99 cents a pound at some grocery stores. Paired with the chicken are creamy, textured Yukon golds lightly seasoned with a little mustard. Your kids will never even know its in there, and eat it up! Serve the extra sauce from the chicken over the potatoes.

Sticky chicken
Ingredients:

• 8 chicken legs, skin removed
• 3/4 c. Barbecue sauce(I use sweet baby ray's)
• 1/2 c. Maple Syrup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 8x8" pan(at least 1" deep) and place the chicken legs on it. In a small bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce and syrup. Pour over the chicken, covering all surfaces of the legs. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. *make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through before serving!

Mustard Mashed Yukon's
Ingredients:

• 5 Large Yukon Gold potatoes, Washed, skin-on
• 2 T. Butter
• Salt and pepper tt.
• 1/4 c. Milk
• 2 T. Dijon Mustard

Slice the potatoes into 1" cubes and place in a large saucepan. Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil on high heat. Let the potatoes simmer until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain the water and place the cooked potatoes back in the saucepan. Add the butter, salt and pepper, milk and mustard. Puree using and electric or immersion blender until seasonings are mixed in.

Enjoy!

My Favorite Chicken Salad!

Now that summer is just around the corner(well, sort of) it's time to whip out the chicken salad! This is my favorite version. Simple and grapey. Just the way a chicken salad should be. If you like nuts in your chicken salad, add some lightly toasted sliced almonds to this. Served on croissant rolls, or just by it's self it will get you ready for picnic season either way =)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs Chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1/2" cubes. (I usually just throw the raw chicken into a pot of boiling water and let it simmer until the are cooked through. Then run the cooked chicken under cold water to cool down, pat dry, and dice.)
2-3 c. Red Grapes, washed and halved
4 stalks celery, diced
3 green onions, sliced

Dressing:

3/4 c. Mayo
3/4 c. Miracle whip
1/3 c. Lemon Juice
tt. Seasoned Salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, celery, grapes, and green onion. Set aside.
Place the mayo, miracle whip, lemon juice, and salt into a smaller bowl and stir with a whisk until well combined. Pour the dressing over the chicken salad and toss until thoroughly coated. Serve chilled.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Mirpoix Gravy and Apple-Pomme Puree

Lamb Shanks are a great hearty fall dish. When it comes to lamb, they are quite a bit cheaper then the rest of the cuts, but require slow cooking for a long period of time to soften them up. When they have been braised long enough, however, they are so tender that the meat will fall right off the bone, so plate carefully!
For the apple-pomme puree, simply add peeled diced apples to the pot along with your potatoes, cook until tender, and puree with a little cream, salt, and butter. Pears would also go really nicely with this dish.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 4 Lamb Shanks, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 T. Canola Oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 Carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 Celery Ribs, diced
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 T. Herbs De Provence(if you can't find these, just use thyme)
• 2 T. Tomato Paste
• 2 c. Dry Red Wine(Cabernet Savignion or Merlot are great for this dish)
• 2 c. Chicken Stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Cornstarch, to thicken

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add the shanks to the pan and brown evenly on all sides. Remove shanks from the pan and place in a crock pot.

In the same pan used to brown the shanks, add the onion, carrot, and celery, adding a little more oil, if needed. Saute the vegetables until they begin to soften, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and saute for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and saute until the vegetables are well coated.

Place the sauteed vegetables on top of the lamb in the crock pot. Pour the wine and chicken broth over the vegetables and lamb and cover with a lid. Cook on high for about 4 hours.

After the lamb has become tender enough to easily pull from the bone, check the seasonings in the gravy and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Mix cornstarch in a small amount of water and stir it into the gravy(stir well so there are no lumps!). Let cook for a few more minutes until thickened. Add more cornstarch mixture if needed until desired thickness is achieved.

Serve the shanks with potatoes and gravy.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Fresh Baby Caprese Spaghetti

This is just for my records =) When I find the energy(this pregnancy is sucking me dry!) I will post the recipe. But the dish consists of homemade spaghetti, orange cherry tomatoes(which taste like sunshine), mini balls of fresh mozzarella, olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil. Amazingly simple and yummy!

Pan-seared Halibut with Sweet Corn Zabaglione

Now that Hell's Kitchen is over, Master Chef has taken over as my favorite cooking reality show. This dish was another challenge dish that I had to make myself, it looked so good. Cat Cora is the main creator of the dish, but here is my version, with my own preferences! I hope you like it!
*Try and use fresh, never frozen Halibut, if you can find it. The fish found in most grocery stores is previously frozen, although you would think it was fresh when laid out in the display case.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 2 Halibut Fillets, skinned (about 6 oz. each)
• Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
• Olive oil, to taste
• 2 ears of corn, shucked, kernels cut off
• 1/3 Red Onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1 c. Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 c. Baby Arugula, washed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 c. Heavy Cream
• 1 Egg Yolk
  

For the Halibut: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan until sizzling. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides, pressing the seasonings into the flesh. When the oil is hot, Lay the fillets presentation side down in the pan and sear for 2 minutes. Flip over. The fish should be golden on top. Sear on the other side for about 1 minute more and then turn of the heat, leaving the fish in the pan to continue cooking. Keep warm.

For the Salad: In a frying pan, saute 1/2 of the corn and the red onion in olive oil until soft, but not soggy. Place in a bowl and allow to cool. Add the cherry tomatoes and arugula and toss. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For the Sweet Corn Zabaglione: In a large saucepan, saute the onion and remaining corn in a small amount of olive oil until tender. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream and let simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Place the corn/cream mixture in a blender. CAREFULLY puree until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk until broken up. Add a small amount of the strained sauce to the yolk, whisking well each time, until the yolk is warmed. Add the yolk to the sauce and whisk in well.
Cook the sauce in a double boiler until slightly thickened and hot. Season with salt to taste.

To serve: Pour about 1/2 c. of sauce onto the center of a plate. Place the halibut on top of the sauce, presentation side up. Top the fish with a portion of the salad. Eat Immediately!

Coq Au Vin

This will always be one of my most favorite chicken dishes. We served this dish at our wedding and it was perfect! Coq Au Vin is French for 'chicken with wine'. This recipe calls for white wine, but you can use red also. I like to use Chablis when cooking with white wine, and a Cabernet Savignon or Merlot when using red wine.
*For those who are new to cooking with wine, remember: When the wine is cooked, the alcohol is cooked out with it. No need to worry. And for those who are too chicken to go to the liquor store to purchase wine(which I recommend, it's much cheaper there), you can find it as cooking wine with the vinegars in your local grocery store. Just remember: Cooking wine is much more salty than regular wine, so don't add as much salt to the dish!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. Flour
• 1 t. Pepper
• 1 t. Salt
• 2 T. Olive Oil
  
• 8 bone-in Chicken Thighs, skinned
• 2 c. Mushrooms, quartered
• 2 c. Baby carrots
• 1 large Onion, sliced along the grain
• 1 1/2 T. Fresh Thyme, chopped
• 2 T. Tomato Paste
• 2 t. Minced Garlic
• 1 c. White or Red Wine
• 3 c. Chicken Broth
• 2 T. Butter
  

Combine the flour, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add the skinless chicken thighs and coat each one in the flour mixture. Set aside.
In a large, deep sided frying pan, heat the olive oil to medium-high.
Add the dredged chicken thighs to the hot oil.
Brown the chicken thighs evenly on both sides.
Remove the chicken from the pan(but leave the pan on the heat) and place on a plate. Set aside.
Add the mushrooms, carrots, and onion to the hot pan and saute for 2 minutes.
* Try to use fresh thyme with this dish, if it is available. Fresh herbs make such a difference!
Add the chopped thyme to the vegetables and saute for 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste and the minced garlic to the vegetables.
Toss the vegetables until they are all well coated with the tomato paste.
Add the wine and the chicken broth to the pan.
Place the browned chicken thighs back in the pan, under the liquid. Try and spoon the vegetables over the chicken, so that the chicken is completely submerged in liquid.
Cover the pan with a lid and let simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the chicken does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The chicken is done when the sauce is reduced so that it thickly coats the back of a spoon and the chicken is tender. Add the butter to the sauce and stir until blended. Serve with mashed potatoes to use up all the yummy sauce.

Seared Flank Steak with Pear Puree and Pancetta Hash

Are any of you Hell's Kitchen fans? I admit that this season, I have HAD to watch it. I love watching the challenges the contestants are faced with. Everything always looks SO amazing and I often wish that I was eating what they are cooking as I watch the show. Last night, the remaining contestants were challenged to recreate one of chef Ramsay's dishes that he had prepared for them, going only off of the taste.....no recipe. It was venison with a pear puree and pancetta hash with a beef glaze drizzled around it. It looked AMAZING.
I have been craving that dish all. day. long. So I decided to recreate my own version, using flank steak instead of the not so readily available venison. I honestly have no Idea what was in the dish besides the meat and puree, so I just guessed on the rest.
It turned out fantastic and the funny thing is, it only took me about 20-25 minutes to make!
Give it a try if you would like something unique and delicious, but fast and easy.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb Flank Steak or London Broil(let sit at room temperature 30 min. before searing!)
• Kosher Salt and Pepper, to taste
  
• Herbs De Provence, to taste
• 2 c. Beef Stock
• 1 Russet Potato, Peeled and cubed
• 3 Anjou Pears, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 T. Butter
• 3 T. Heavy Cream
• 1 Carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 Sweet Onion, finely diced
• 1 Anjou Pear,peeled and finely diced
• 3/4 c. Pancetta, finely diced

For the Steak: Coat both sides of the steak liberally with salt, pepper, and the herbs. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the Flank steak and sear on both sides. Cook to medium rare or medium. *flank steak is best cooked to this degree. Any more done and it will be tough.
Remove the steak from the pan and tent with foil on a plate. Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes. To serve: Slice on an angle into thin strips, going against the grain.

For the glaze: Pour the stock into a small saucepan and heat to simmering. Let it continue to simmer until it is reduced to about 1/4 c. Remove from heat. The glaze should be thick and syrupy. You only need a little bit to accent the dish.

For the Pear Puree: Add the cubed pear and potato to a large saucepan and cover with water. Heat on the stove until the water is boiling. Continue to cook the potato and pear until they are both tender. Drain the cooking water off of the pear and potato and put back on medium heat. Let the dish cook until all the remaining liquid is cooked off. Remove the pan from the stove and add the butter, cream, and salt to taste. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Keep warm until service.

For the Pancetta Hash: Heat a saute pan to medium high and add the pancetta. Cook for 2 minutes, then add in the carrot, onion, and pear. Saute the mixture until the ingredients begin to caramelize. The carrot should be soft.

To serve: Spoon the pear puree onto the plate and top with several thin slices of beef. Spoon the hash across the center of the dish and then drizzle the glaze around the edges. Enjoy!!!

A few tips:

1. You should be able to cook all the dishes at once, as long as you have a stove with four burners. Keep items that are finished cooking before others warm in an oven set to 170 degrees.
2. If you can not find or do not have an Herbs De Provence mixture, use a blend of thyme and oregano.
3. When making this dish during the Fall season, substitute the carrot for sweet potato or squash to make the most of Autumns vegetables!
   

Swiss Parmesan Salad

This salad is one of summers easiest and best. It's so simple with a simple dressing to boot. Garlic and Lemon give it the zing while toasted slivered almonds add the crunch. Whenever I make this for dinner I find myself snacking on the leftovers for at least two days. Yes, it is so yummy that I will eat it even if the lettuce is a bit soggy. I think it's the bacon.

Ingredients:

• 1 head Iceberg Lettuce, washed and chopped into bite sized pieces
• 12 oz. Smoked Bacon, diced and cooked until crisp.
• 1/2 c. Slivered Almonds, toasted
• 2 c. Swiss Cheese, grated
• 2 c. Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
• 3/4 c. Canola oil
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
  
• 1/4 c. Lemon Juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

For the dressing: In a seal-able container, combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly and shake until the ingredients are combined. Chill until ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, bacon, almonds, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese. Pour half the dressing over the salad and then toss with tongs until the ingredients are well distributed and the dressing coats the salad. Add more dressing, if desired.

Herb Crusted Salmon

For Nikki in her search for good fish recipes, here is my all time favorite. Salmon fillets brushed with melted butter and then crusted in fresh herbs. You can use any herb combination that you like. I usually combine fresh thyme, oregano, parsley and rosemary. But you can also use basil or chives or as few or many herbs as you like. Try cooking this on the grill(wrapped in foil still) during the summer time. Serve it with roasted potatoes(Did I tell you I found a 5 lb. bag of fingerling potatoes at Costco for $5? I found a 5 lb. bag of fingerling potatoes at Costco for$5!!!) and broccoli or asparagus.

Ingredients:

• 1 large fillet of Salmon, skin on is fine
• 1/2 c. Butter, melted
• 1/4 c. Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1/8 c. Fresh Thyme, chopped
• 1/8 c. Fresh Oregano, chopped
• 1/8 c. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• 1 T. Kosher Salt
• 1 t. Ground Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set out a baking sheet and tear two sheets of tin foil , each 1/2 times the length of the baking sheet. Lay the foil overlapping on the baking sheet so that the salmon fillet can be wrapped in it once it's ready to bake.
2. Lay the Salmon fillet on top of the tin foil on the baking sheet. Brush the entire fillet with the melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the herbs, salt, and pepper *Do not do this step before this point or the the mixture will become wet and difficult to sprinkle.
3. Sprinkle the herb mixture over the salmon, making sure that all areas are evenly covered. Pat down to help it stick.
4. Wrap the foil loosely over the salmon and place in the oven.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes and is no longer translucent. Do not overcook!

I hope you love this dish as much as I do!!

Balsamic Caramel Apple Cream Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Mash

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Rigatoni Alla Amatricana

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Mediterranean Pizza

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Brie & Raspberry Salad with Chicken....and Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Braised Beef Short Ribs

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Chicken Fricassee

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